Costa d'Este

3244 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, FL, USA

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From $199
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It’s sometimes said that Vero Beach is to Miami what the Hamptons are to New York, but don’t let that dissuade you — whereas the Hamptons are often just where Manhattan excess spends its summer vacations, Vero Beach remains a sophisticated little beach town, far indeed from the noise of its glammed-up neighbor to the south. And so it’s here, on a quiet stretch of soft white sand, that we find Costa d’Este, a mid-size, maximally tasteful resort owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan, whose easy-listening music might as well be Vero Beach’s soundtrack.

The restaurants and bars have a pleasant, low-key social energy, but the real fun is reserved for the pool. Sitting just above the unspoiled beach, it’s surrounded by oversized rattan loungers and serviced by poolside concierges who are as quick with the fun stuff — mojitos, frozen grapes, spritzes of cool water — as they are with the towels and sunscreen. And when you’ve had enough sun, the spa is a worthy diversion.

It wouldn’t be a resort town without some excellent nearby golf courses (guests of the hotel are given privileged access to several local private clubs), and the shopping is quite good, too, but what really sets the area apart is its trove of natural treasures. The nearby Indian River Lagoon is America’s most ecologically diverse estuary, home to dolphins and manatees among other critters, while Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is the country’s most important sea turtle refuge. We coddled humans aren’t the only ones who prefer this stretch of Florida coast unspoiled.